The Bill: What If Andrea Survived?
by Jadeycakes92
Summary: An explosion ripped through Sun Hill Police station on the 16th February 2005. Recently revealed undercover journalist, PC Andrea Dunbar is trapped. What would happen if she gets out alive? Will she achieve the justice she desires for her friend, PC Kerry Young's murder? And will she finally conquer love?
1. Chapter 1: The Explosion

**The Bill: What if Andrea survived?**

Authors Note: Andrea Dunbar was one of my favourite characters in The Bill and I knew I just had to start a fan fiction around her and Neil. I came up with so many possibilities to explore. What if she never got found out as working for the newspaper? What if she left the building before the explosion and hadn't had that confrontation with Gabriel? What if she had been at home when Neil showed up at her house to choose her over the job? I finally decided to explore the possibility that somehow (however unlikely) she managed to survive the explosion at Sun Hill that in the actual show ultimately resulted in her death. I'll try not to dwell on too many past details that led to this moment though I will include some to remind those that may have forgotten what the actual context is to this part of the series. Therefore, hopefully my fan fiction will make sense. I hope you enjoy reading this. Jade Marie xo

 **Chapter 1: The Explosion**

Something that sounded like a bomb shook the station and the ear piercing fire alarm rang throughout.

"What the hell was that?" Exclaimed Andrea Dunbar, an ex police constable who had just been outed as an undercover reporter and therefore had been fired from the job she had grown to love. Another PC, Gabriel Kent, was with her as they had been arguing over his involvement in the recent sniper case. Andrea had been convinced he was involved and finally she had the evidence to prove it. He had started to break down and confess all until the noise distracted them.

In confusion, Gabriel went to head out of the interview room to look down the corridor to find out what was going on. However, as he reached the doorway a huge blast tore through the building, the walls collapsing all around, the lights turning out; dust and debris covering the floor.

The force had knocked Gabriel to the ground making him suffer several cuts and bruises to his face. He had fell unconscious for a few seconds but as he came round he could see fire creeping up the area that had been the station corridor. It was coming for them. As he scrambled to his feet he heard Andrea cry out his name.

"Come on! Come on!" He grunted, making his way to Andrea who was lying forlorn and bloodied on the ground. A beam had fallen on top of her, trapping her.

"Ow," moaned Andrea as she became more aware of what was happening. She couldn't move with the beam on top of her and she could smell burning. She tried to wriggle out from underneath the beam as Gabriel tried to lift it, but it wouldn't budge.

"I can't!" Gabriel shouted, the tension in his voice clear. "It won't..." He trailed off, standing back up as he peered down at Andrea. He began to realise that this could be his chance to walk free. Andrea was the only one who knew of his involvement with the Sun Hill sniper and with her gone, he could carry on living a lie under his brothers identity that he had stolen.

"Gabriel," Andrea wheezed. Smoke now beginning to fill her lungs. "Gabriel, what are you doing? Gabriel! Please! Help me! Please. Gabriel for Gods sake! Please, help me! Please! You can't leave me here!"

He stood there frozen, torn about what to do. Since the snipers death he had tried to leave his wrongdoing behind and start a fresh; leaving a colleague to die wouldn't be a good way to make his new start. However, if Andrea lived and revealed the truth then he certainly wouldn't make his new start behind bars either.

"This is my second chance," Gabriel stated trying to remain calm.

"Don't do this to me, please!" cried Andrea, fearing that Gabriel was going to leave her there to burn in the ever growing fire. She had connected with him only moments before, she had got him to confess but that wasn't enough to convince her that he would do the right thing.

"The snipers dead. Kerry's dead. I can put it all behind me. Move on."

"I won't tell anyone anything. I wouldn't tell anyone I promise," pleaded Andrea, using all her strength to reach and grab Gabriel's hand as he lent forward. "Please don't leave me here."

"I'm sorry," muttered Gabriel, pulling back with one lonesome tear escaping.

"No!" Andrea begged. She kept hold of his hand as tight as she could. "No, Gabriel, no!"

Forcing his hand free of Andrea's surprisingly strong grasp, he turned and fled the burning building whilst Andrea was repeatedly yelling his name. Andrea continued to shout until the smoke began to choke her. She didn't want to die. She couldn't die. She was the only one who could get justice for Kerry, her ex-colleague and friend who Gabriel had murdered. Only Andrea knew the truth and she couldn't let him get away with it.

With her determination for justice spurring her on, she used all the strength she had in her to move out from under the fallen beam. Frantically looking around her for something to hold on to she clutched another beam that had fell just behind where she was lying.

"Ahhh!" She screamed in pain as she used her arms to pull her out from underneath the beam that had crushed her. As she wriggled out slowly, inch by inch, she could feel the weight of the beam move from her ribs, scraping down her body as she moved. The pain was unbearable but the adrenaline kept her going. She felt sick. The fire now was only a few metres away; she knew she didn't have long to get out.

Blood had begun to soak through her denim jacket and she feared her injuries may be so severe that even if she were to get herself free from the rubble, she may bleed to death anyway. But she had to try.

Finally, she had managed to pull herself out from underneath the beam using her upper body strength but it had left her weak. Her eyes began to feel heavy and with the smoke becoming increasingly thick she couldn't stop coughing. As the lower part of her body had been crushed she knew she wouldn't be able to stand. Once again, she relied on her upper body strength, dragging herself through the rubble, away from the burning fire to try and make her escape.

Only Gabriel had known she was in the building. No one was going to come looking for her so she had to fight for her own survival. There was no other option. She could only hope that she would make it out alive.


	2. Chapter 2: DI Neil Manson

**Chapter 2: DI Neil Manson**

Repeatedly pressing the buzzer to Andrea's apartment didn't seem to be doing much good. Perhaps she wasn't in but Neil Manson feared that she just didn't want to see him. Had he blown it? He hoped not.

Reaching in the large pocket of his black trench coat he pulled out his phone. He had to talk to her. They couldn't leave it like this. He found Andrea's name in his contact list. His hands shaking, he pressed the button to call her home number. He wasn't sure if he was nervous because this was one of the most risky decisions he had made throughout his career, or if it were simply that he feared she wouldn't speak to him. As he expected deep down, her phone went straight to voicemail.

"Andrea, its me. If you're in open the door. Come on," he paused feeling slightly foolish talking in such a way to an answering machine. "Look, I'm sorry I was out of order you know... Well more than that, I was an idiot... So wound up about the job I nearly forgot what was important. So I made a decision... well I don't deserve this but I want a second chance. I know we can make it work. Anyway I'm not gonna go anywhere until we sort it out so..."

Interrupted by the beep, Neil knew his explanation time was up and he sat perched on the wall outside her apartment building just hoping that she would come outside, or alternatively arrive home.

He sat twirling his phone in his hands, hoping that it would ring. It was also a welcome distraction to stop his hands from trembling. He wasn't sure how it would all go down with Superintendent Okaro when he arrived back at the station. He had been given an ultimatum by his boss: the job or Andrea. It wasn't easy as Neil had practically been married to the job itself, his actual wife Philippa taking a back seat throughout their marriage in comparison to the job, but she had always understood that his career came first and as a barrister, it was pretty much the same for her.

Philippa didn't yet know about her husband's affair and Neil wasn't entirely sure how to tell her, though he was more fearful of how his infidelity could hurt his son, Jake. He knew that Philippa wouldn't understand why he would risk his career for a woman, and in truth he wasn't completely certain himself. All he knew was that Andrea had made him feel in a way that he had never felt before. Often viewed as cold and serious by others, although he knew there was more to him than he let most people see, Andrea had allowed Neil to laugh and be more reckless than he ever imagined he could be, even if it was in secret.

He loved to make Andrea jealous; more so he liked that he could make her jealous. It had scared him at first when he discovered she could do the same to him. When she had dated Sergeant Dale Smith when he had forced himself to stop his affair with Andrea, believing it was the right thing to do at the time, it had killed him inside. Neil didn't have this connection with Philippa and despite the lies that had emerged through his and Andrea's time together, he was certain of one thing: Andrea's feelings for him had been real. And he realised he couldn't let go of that.

Neil's phone suddenly rang, disturbing his thoughts about his life, and his heart skipped a beat expecting it to be Andrea calling, but to his dismay it was Philippa. Not wanting to speak to her right now he hung up the call and checked his watch. Realising he had been sitting outside for almost half an hour with no sign of Andrea being home, he decided he should probably return to the station. People may have been wondering where he had got to, although he had told one of his detective sergeants, Samantha Nixon, that he was popping out on personal business.

Sliding into his car, Neil took one last look at Andrea's apartment building, before heading back to work.

Blue lights filled the now almost dark sky as the evening began to settle in. Neil could see masses of people and several fire engines and ambulances outside the front of Sun Hill Station as he pulled up. In a panic he leapt from his car and ran through the crowds into the back entrance of the police station, straight away finding Superintendent Okaro.

"Sir!" Called Neil as he ran towards the Super. "What's happened?"

Sighing, Adam Okaro explained, "Someone drove a van into the front office that was loaded with petrol. We have the index number. We're trying to trace the owner."

"I saw MIT. Were there many casualties?" Neil enquired.

"Ken's body was discovered earlier. Marilyn Chambers is in a bad way."

"Anyone else missing?"

"Not now that you've turned up."

Briefly explaining what he knew and what the next steps forward would be, Adam Okaro then left the building, leaving Neil to help onsite although Neil wasn't entirely sure how to be of much help at the current time. He headed outside to the front where many of his colleagues were gathered. Looking at the extent of the damage to the front of the building, his heart sank. A niggling feeling inside made him fear that Andrea was caught up in this and that was why she wasn't at home. However, she had been fired and had no reason to be in there. To try to put his mind at rest he decided to call the Daily News, the newspaper that Andrea worked for, to see if she was there.

Learning from Andrea's boss, Bruce Malcolm, that she missed an appointment at the Newspaper, panic started to set in. Rushing over to his colleagues he asked when Andrea had left the building.

"I don't recall seeing her sir," Gabriel lied, staring ahead at the damaged building. His cuts and bruises began to throb. He was waiting for the firemen that had just began to search through the rubble, to discover Andrea's lifeless body.

"Last I heard, Smithy escorted her out of the building," answered Detective Sergeant Phil Hunter.

"So she's definitely left the building?" Neil probed in hope for confirmation only to be told that Sergeant Smith would be the only one that would know for sure; he had been caught up in the explosion himself and taken to St Hughes hospital.

"You don't think Andrea's in there?" Questioned Phil out of concern for his boss. Aside from the Superintendent and Sergeant Smith who now knew, Phil Hunter was the only other member of the team to know about Neil's affair with Andrea as he had walked in on them kissing in Neil's office several months earlier.

Before Neil could reply a commotion began as a fire fighter shouted for help, claiming that he had found a body.

Inspector Gina Gold, who had been overseeing the emergency services efforts ran to assist. Neil, Phil and Gabriel followed close behind as well as a few other firemen and two paramedics.

Desperately trying to see who had been discovered, Neil was frustrated that he couldn't see past everyone else and even more to his annoyance, Gina made all the police officers stand back to give the paramedics clear access before heading back over herself.

Phil placed his arm round Neil's shoulders but Neil instantly shrugged it off, not wanting to allow himself to get upset or arouse suspicion. Preferably, his affair with Andrea Dunbar would stay under wraps for as long as possible. All he could do was wait. He could see the paramedics lifting a lifeless looking body onto a stretcher but he still couldn't see clearly enough to make out who it was. As the body was put into the back of an ambulance, Gina Gold approached her team looking pale.

"It was Andrea Dunbar," she spoke calmly.

"Is she alive, ma'am?" Gabriel blurted, asking the question that Neil desperately wanted to know but had been too afraid to ask.

"Yes, yes she is. But she's not in a good way," Gina replied. "The paramedics reckon she dragged herself to that area of the building trying to escape before passing out."

"What was she doing in there?" Interrogated Neil, trying to sound composed and professional. "I thought she was escorted from the premises."

"That's exactly what I want to find out," responded Gina.

"So she might not pull through then ma'am?" Added Gabriel somewhat insensitively, making Neil want to say something in retaliation but instead he forced himself to walk away.

"Who knows PC Kent?" Gina snapped. "She certainly didn't look good when they put her in that ambulance but no one yet knows the extent of her injuries."

Leaving the inspector and PC Kent's discussion behind, Neil wandered towards his car so that he could go to the hospital.

"You're in no fit state to drive," commented Phil as he grabbed Neil by the arm, removing Neil's keys from his hand. "You're in shock!"

"I need to see Andrea," Neil reasoned trying to snatch his keys back but lacking the concentration to get them back from Phil successfully.

"I know that," Phil said, now leading Neil in the direction of where his own car was parked. "I'll take you."


	3. Chapter 3: Jealousy

**Chapter 3: Jealousy**

It had been almost twenty four hours since the explosion and Neil had tried to spend as much time at the hospital as possible, but it was difficult doing that largely undetected. He had bumped into Inspector Gold and claimed he was there to see if those injured were okay and if any were ready to talk about what they may have seen. In reality all he could think about was Andrea, but every time he had been in to visit, she was still unconscious.

The ultimatum from the Superintendent kept repeating over and over in Neil's head. Thankfully Adam Okaro had been too busy to chase up on Neil's decision with parts of the station being relocated into temporary offices, biding Neil some time. The last thing he wanted to do now was walk away from the job; he wanted to be involved in the investigation. He needed to know who was behind the devastation that had injured so many of his colleagues, especially his beloved Andrea. Additionally, a small part of him was still reluctant to leave the job regardless. When he first took the position of Detective Inspector at Sun Hill it was intended just to be a stepping stone to bigger things. He was lined up for fast promotion with Philippa's father being Deputy Assistant Commissioner. Although over time he had learnt not to trust his father-in-law, he knew that Andrea was the real reason his career had come to a halt; he had been reluctant to leave her. But that didn't mean he could easily throw the job away altogether.

Exhaustion hit him as he sank into the chair next to Andrea's hospital bed. He hadn't slept. He barely had time to try and even when he did try, he couldn't. He couldn't help but think how different things could have been if Andrea had left the building when she was told to. He needed to know why she was delayed. Lost in his thoughts he didn't even notice Andrea flick her eyes open.

Moving her arm slowly to remove her oxygen mask, she made Neil jump.

"Andrea," Neil whispered, at a loss for words. He didn't know if she would want him there as the last time they had spoken he had brushed her aside. When his colleagues found out about Andrea's undercover journalist role, he had pushed her away like much of the relief through fear of judgement. "You've been in an accident."

Andrea looked dazed as she pulled at her oxygen mask. Neil winced as he noticed just how badly cut and bruised both Andrea's face and hands were, wishing that somehow he could make it better. The doctors had also informed him that she had broken several ribs and had suffered a severe ankle sprain. They claimed that considering what she had been through that she was quite lucky. Neil couldn't quite see it that way. She shouldn't have even been there at all.

Sliding the mask off of her mouth Andrea managed to mumble the word, "fire." The mention of the word sent her brain into a spin as she rapidly thought about what she had been doing before she got hurt. It only took a matter of seconds for it all to come flooding back. She needed to get someone that she could trust to help her catch Gabriel. She was impatient because she knew Gabriel could flee at any minute. Like the thoughts that spurred her on to get out of the fire alive, all she could think about was getting justice for Kerry. Gabriel had admitted to killing Kerry and he had to pay. Not only that but he had left her to die. If she could only achieve one thing in life, seeing Gabriel punished for his crimes would be it.

"Smithy..." Andrea wheezed before coughing, forcing her to wear her oxygen mask again.

"Smithy?" Neil asked, not sure if he had misheard her. He was disappointed that she didn't seem to acknowledge him.

"I need to see Smithy," Andrea choked out, once again removing her mask. Sergeant Smith had been in love with PC Kerry Young when she was killed and Andrea hoped that would be enough to persuade him to keep helping her bring Gabriel Kent down. The rest of the relief wouldn't give her the time of day now they knew she was an undercover journalist , but Smithy had believed Andrea's accusations against Gabriel from the beginning.

"Well that won't be possible," Neil responded defiantly, hurt that he appeared to be irrelevant to Andrea. "He's in the hospital too."

Andrea wondered whether she could reach out to Neil and enlist his help instead. However, they hadn't ended on good terms and she wasn't sure if he would trust anything she said. Heartbreakingly, she wasn't sure she could fully trust him either. He was too dedicated to his job to help someone who most of the officers at Sun Hill now considered a traitor. She wished she could apologise repeatedly and convince them that she was really on to something, but they wouldn't go near her.

"Please Neil," Andrea begged. "Get word to Smithy for me. It's urgent."

"What's so important that you can't let an injured man recover in peace?" Neil snapped, his jealousy getting the better of him. He was scared he had misread Andrea completely, beginning to doubt whether her feelings for him were true. She seemed to be more concerned about the Sergeant than Neil's presence.

"I can't say," murmured Andrea. Starting to cough violently she placed the oxygen mask back over her mouth, struggling to breathe.

"I'll get you a nurse," mumbled Neil before grabbing his keys and exiting the ward.

Tired and frustrated, Neil thundered into the new, temporary CID office. He felt like he had wasted so much time worrying about Andrea, yet he couldn't have stopped his feelings if he tried. He hated what his jealousy could do to him; he couldn't think straight.

"You alright mate?" Phil questioned his DI as he approached.

"Yes," Neil spat out in reply, knowing that Phil would not be fooled but he didn't want to talk. He had to focus on work. Taking a seat at his new desk, no longer having his own office, he stared at the computer screen in front of him. Having little control of himself wasn't something he was used to. In fact he had never not been in control of himself until he had met Andrea.

"Ah Neil, can I have a word?" Superintendent Okaro's voice rang out, making Neil's heart pound. The time had come to make his decision.

As he followed Adam to his new, own temporary office Neil could feel his anger from Andrea's disinterest boiling inside.

"So, Neil," Adam Okaro began carefully. "I know this must be a difficult decision, even more so with Andrea being caught up in yesterday's events. But I have to ask now because at a time like this I need officers to be focused on the investigation and changes ahead."

"That's perfectly understandable sir," mumbled Neil in response.

"Well that it may be but what is best for you?" The Superintendent probed. "Think hard before you reply. As I said before, that look you and Andrea Dunbar gave each other in the court told me that something has been going on with you both for some time. I need you to make the right decision for both you and this station."

"You have nothing to worry about sir," stated Neil, his heart beating rapidly as he made his choice. "Andrea and I were over before that day in court . I won't be speaking to her again." Neil knew he had to force himself to stick by his decision, for his own sanity more than anything. Even if there was nothing romantic going on between Andrea and Smithy she was still hiding something from him; with all the secrets that had already emerged, he wasn't sure he could handle any more.

"This station has suffered enough scandal and if you think you have the slightest chance of going back on your word I suggest you take some leave. Even if you're not going to speak to her it may be good for you to get away for a while."

"No Sir, I'd like to be part of the investigation," Neil answered quickly. "If anything I need my job now more than ever." Only yesterday he had intended to leave everything behind and start afresh with Andrea and now he'd made another U-Turn and stuck to his career. He put his previous judgement as down to being a fool in love; a rash decision spurred on by the thought of completely losing his new found freedom. He realised now that he would be nothing without the job, though the thought of leaving his love for Andrea behind still stung.


	4. Chapter 4: Assistance Required

**Chapter 4: Assistance Required**

"Excuse me, but my friend also caught up in the explosion, Dale Smith, is he okay?" Andrea Dunbar questioned the nurse that had come to check on her. She needed to know if she could somehow talk to him. She refused to let Gabriel get away with this.

"Yes," replied the nurse. "I was just with him myself. He's very groggy. Like you he has many stitched up cuts and a few bruises but he'll be fine. You were both so lucky considering what happened."

"Yes, I guess so," mumbled Andrea, wondering if any of her other colleagues were more injured than her, or worse if any had been killed. "What ward is he in please?"

"Oh he's just in the next one along," smiled the nurse. "But you really don't have to worry about him. Are you two close?"

"Sort of. We were together for a time. Just good friends now. What time is it?"

"Almost nine o'clock now," replied the nurse. "Are you feeling okay? Anything else you need before I go?"

"No. Thank you," Andrea answered.

Once Andrea's cough had subsided she couldn't help but think about Neil. She wondered what was happening now; how he was dealing with the truth about her true profession becoming public knowledge. She hadn't intended to hurt him earlier; she knew she only had the energy to say so much and she needed to see Smithy. She hadn't meant anything personal by it but of course Neil didn't know the truth. Her coughing had prevented them from having a real conversation so she didn't even know why he had come t see her. Let alone had she had the opportunity to explain much to him. She just wished he would trust her but for now their relationship, if it had any future, would have to wait. She had bigger things to sort first.

Once all the lights had been dimmed in the ward and it was much quieter, Andrea knew that it had to be now that she attempted to see Smithy. Gritting her teeth to stop her groaning in pain she slowly detached the drips attached to her arms and began to slide out of bed. She hadn't realised just quite how battered and bruised she was until now. She'd been told by the doctor that she had a couple of broken ribs and had some of her larger injuries stitched up, but she hadn't imagined how much more pain she would feel if she moved.

Trying her utmost not to cry out in pain she eased her way gradually off the bed trying to stand but her sprained ankle gave way and she ended up sprawled across the floor. Not being able to stay silent she then heard footsteps hurrying in her direction, followed by the sound of the curtain that surrounded her bed being pulled open.

"Jenny I need your help," shouted a young nurse who approached Andrea and tried to help her up. A few moments later the nurse that Andrea had spoken to earlier also appeared and helped lift her onto the bed.

"No," moaned Andrea. "I can't. I need to see Smithy. Dale Smith."

"Your friend that you mentioned earlier?" Asked nurse Jenny. "You're in no fit state to be wandering around and neither is he. When you feel a bit stronger you'll be able to see him."

"No, you're not listening!" Andrea snapped at the nurse. "God forbid I will keep attempting to get down there if you don't help me. It's very important."

"I can pass on a message if you'd like?"

"No! I have to talk to him. Please just take me down there. Just for a few minutes. I won't settle otherwise. I'll keep the whole ward awake all night."

After much more arguing, Andrea eventually got her way as she refused to back down. She could feel herself becoming exhausted but she wouldn't give up. She winced when she saw the state of Smithy as the nurse placed her beside his bed in a wheelchair.

"Just five minutes," Jenny said before departing.

Sergeant Smith was fast asleep, completely unaware of Andrea's appearance at his bedside. She felt bad for waking him but she had to speak to him. She couldn't keep everything to herself. He needed to know that she had got the evidence they could use against Gabriel, only now it may have been lost again in the fire. They'd have to work together to get it back.

"Smithy," Andrea whispered, leaning over and gently shaking his arm. "Smithy, wake up. I've got to talk to you."

Dale Smith opened his eyes. They hesitantly came into focus. "Andrea?"

"Smithy, I haven't got long. I just needed to tell you that I had it. I had the evidence just before that explosion hit. We've got him. We've got Gabriel. He admitted to killing Kerry and..."

"Stop," he muttered cutting Andrea off mid-sentence. "I don't want to be involved any more Andrea. I'm glad you got out the fire okay but I can't do it. We can't talk. You're a journalist. I can't be involved."

"Smithy, please. You know I was on to something. He admitted it. Don't you want to get justice for Kerry?"

"Of course I do!" He said before hesitating. "But I can't be involved in this. I can't work with you. How can I trust anything you say?"

"I'm still the same person. Yes I may have written a few stories but was anything I discovered not true? I know how to get him. I just need your help because I lost the evidence in the fire..."

"What's to say you'll get it back? Look Andrea, I'm too tired to think straight. I can't be caught up in this. You're going to be under investigation. You broke the law."

At that moment nurse Jenny returned. Seeing little hope to get through to Smithy, Andrea let Jenny take her back to her own bed. She prayed that she might get through to Smithy once he was feeling stronger. She couldn't believe he could just let all the work they'd done to bring down Gabriel go to waste.

Upon waking up the next morning she was subject to questioning from the Murder Investigation Team about what she had seen and experienced in the explosion. Thankfully her undercover role seemed to be taking a back seat in the line of priorities the police were dealing with, although the officers from MIT certainly made a few snide comments regarding whether she was telling the truth. Andrea couldn't blame them. No one seemed to trust her now and she guessed if the roles were reversed she'd find it difficult to trust someone who in effect had lived a double life. Not that she'd intended for it to go as far as it did. She didn't expect to begin to love the job that she originally set out to undermine. She didn't expect to see how dedicated most of her colleagues were to their roles. And most importantly she had never intended to fall in love with a police officer, let alone a high ranking officer who was married.

Lying to MIT wasn't something Andrea wanted to do but she didn't want them sniffing around Gabriel when she was so close to exposing the truth herself. Not that leaving her to die would be a crime on its own but she didn't want to have to tell them why he had left her there. Preferably he could play the unsung hero role as she heard it was he who had rescued Smithy, though she hoped he may come to regret it. She wondered if that may be why Smithy wasn't as intent on finding out the truth about Gabriel as he had been before.

Unsurprisingly to Andrea, not long after MIT left, Gabriel came meandering in to see her.

"Andrea," nodded Gabriel in greeting. "How are you?"

"Fine, no thanks to you."

"I couldn't stay and let myself get stuck in the fire," he stated impassively. "At least you got out okay. I would have felt terrible if anything had happened."

"Oh, sure," she smirked in response. "Now Gabriel we know you're not really here because you're feeling guilty so you can stop the nice act. You just want me not to say anything about Kerry."

"I do feel bad for leaving you Andrea, I panicked. I did try to help you at first. Let me move on and start a fresh. I won't make mistakes again."

"Do you think I'm an idiot Gabriel? Or should I say, David Kent?"

"Do not mention that name!" Gabriel threatened, leaning over Andrea's bedside. "No one needs to find out about that. You've already put a dent in the police's reputation, do you want to do more damage? If I hear any rumours about you digging into my past, I will kill you. After all, I've done it before."

"So much for making a new start," Andrea scoffed. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see what I do."

"Ah PC Kent, this wasn't where I expected to find you when you wandered off," a voice belonging to Inspector Gold rang out across the hospital ward. Glaring at Andrea coldly she continued, "Spit spot! We've got a busy day ahead."

Gabriel turned and gave Andrea one last menacing look before following the Inspector out.


	5. Chapter 5: Home

**Chapter 5: Home**

Determined not to stay in hospital longer than she had to, as soon as Andrea could put just a little bit of weight on her ankle she insisted that the hospital discharged her and called her boss at the Daily News to help her get out of there.

"Andrea, don't you think you should have stayed in a little longer? Three days in hospital doesn't seem quite enough. You can hardly walk," Bruce said in his Scottish accent, similar to Andrea's own. "How are you going to get around? You can't expect to come to work any time soon. I know you've always been determined but this might be going a wee bit far don't you think?"

"I'll manage," grumbled Andrea in response. "I've just got to get out of here. I can't stand it. The painkillers will do as much for me at home while everything heals as they would here."

Rolling his eyes he held Andrea's elbow to balance her as she limped her way outside. He had more important things to do than to be assisting her but he was hoping he might be able to find out what was happening with the police investigations into the explosion and Andrea herself; they could make a good story for the next morning's paper.

"So, have the police been to see you yet?" Bruce began his interrogation as he saw Andrea into her apartment, only to receive an irritated look in return.

"I don't know anything about their investigations," Andrea replied in an angry tone. "I am no longer a police officer. You saw to that. I can't spy for you."

"Andrea, you never were a police officer. You're a journalist. If you're so angry with me for revealing your undercover role then why did you ask me to help you?"

"Because all thanks you, my friends won't speak to me anymore. The hospital would never have let me leave there alone and I thought you owed me."

"Owed you?"Bruce scoffed, trying to laugh off his frustration. "You're the one who dragged the whole thing out for so long promising some huge story that I never received. Are you going to finish that or was there no story?"

"It's a real story. But whether I'll give it to you now you'll have to wait and see."

Bruce continued to argue with Andrea about her dedication to journalism for several minutes before storming out of her apartment, leaving Andrea feeling very alone.

Although she had always lived there by herself, her apartment felt emptier than before. She supposed it was knowing she no longer had any friends in the area that made her feel so isolated. She hadn't had the busiest social life previously, being busy with her two jobs, but she did enjoy the odd night down the pub with her fellow uniformed officers. She'd miss that. And of course, despite him never being a constant part of her life, she no longer had Neil. Even when one of them had cooled things off during their time together, because they worked in the same place she always felt like she wasn't completely alone.

Leaning on the small pine dining table that sat in the corner of the living room for balance, she glanced around, wondering if she should think about leaving the area once she was feeling better. As soon as she had revealed the truth about Gabriel, she didn't believe there would be much for her in London afterwards. It was upon glancing round her apartment that she saw the answer machine flashing.

"Oh God," she mumbled aloud, hobbling over to the phone. She could imagine the sort of messages that might be on there if any other press had somehow got hold of her telephone number. She wouldn't put it past Bruce to give her details out for the right price. In fact, she was surprised the press didn't swarm her at the hospital or at home; perhaps they were too caught up reporting on the explosion.

To her surprise, the phone only showed one new message and she fiercely hoped it wouldn't be from her parents. She didn't want them to find out about the explosion or that she had gone undercover in the police. She prayed that the news of her investigation wouldn't reach them in Scotland, but being on the front of many national newspapers by now she knew she had little chance of avoiding them discovering the truth.

"You have one new message. Message received Wednesday February 16th at 3:12pm by 07..."

She paid close attention as soon as she heard the number. It was Neil's. She knew it off by heart. Feeling shaky she sat down on one of the cream coloured armchairs nearby. She was nervous of what he had to say.

As she listened to the message, tears began to roll down her cheeks. He had chosen her. He wanted to be with her despite everything; despite the shame he would face from admitting to dating an undercover reporter. She couldn't quite believe it. She was happy but scared all at the same time. Her heart skipped. Now she knew why he had come to the hospital. He still cared for her even though the last time they had spoke he had pushed her aside just like all of her other colleagues. If only she had been at home when he had called, rather than at Sun Hill confronting Gabriel.

Her fingers trembling, she dialled Neil's number. It rang a few times before he picked up.

"Andrea," he said emotionlessly. There was a slight pause while they both waited for the other to speak before he tried to continue. "Look,it isn't..."

"I got your voicemail," interrupted Andrea hearing the tremors in her own voice. She didn't want to get upset on the phone but the amount of strong emotions she was feeling at once was overwhelming. She was stupidly excited after hearing Neil's voicemail but she was also anxious for several reasons. Firstly, because Neil had answered the phone to her in what seemed like a cold manner from his usual greeting. She wondered if he was still bothered over his visit to her the other day or if something else had happened that she didn't know about. Additionally, she worried about what would happen now if he really had meant what he said about them working it out. It wouldn't be an easy ride, particularly for Neil. She didn't want him to end up resenting her for possibly ending his career.

"Ahh," Neil sighed heavily, not knowing what to say. How could he explain he'd changed his mind? It seemed hardly fair to tell someone unwanted news who had been through a horrible ordeal but he couldn't really avoid the topic. "Andrea, I left that message because..." He trailed off not knowing exactly how to explain his change of heart.

"Because you love me?" Andrea attempted to finish his sentence in the way she hoped it may have been completed if he didn't fall silent. She was good at saying her thoughts aloud, though sometimes she regretted them. Neil had never been as good at revealing his feelings.

"Andrea," Neil began to soften his tone. "The past few days have given me some time to think. I have Philippa to think of, more so I have Jake. With the explosion, and with your true profession being revealed, the station can't handle any more bad press."

"What are you saying? It's over?" Andrea said bitterly in an attempt to stop herself from crying. "You've changed your mind since the explosion or since you came to see me in hospital and I asked to see Smithy?" Neil remained silent so Andrea continued. "I'll tell you what I think. I think that you came to see me because you do actually love me Neil. I know you've never really said it but you were going to leave your wife for me Neil. You may have even ended up giving up your career. What we've had over the past few months just..."

"Look, I have to go. I have a briefing," Neil stopped Andrea from talking. He could sense that she was becoming emotional, and although he knew he had made the right decision not to be with her now, he didn't like to hurt her. She was right. He wasn't always good at expressing his own emotions. In truth he quite liked to hide them as it made him less vulnerable. "I'll come round after work to talk."

With that he hung up the call, leaving Andrea feeling frustrated.


	6. Chapter 6: Trust

**Chapter 6: Trust**

Neil leant back in his chair, closing his eyes. He couldn't believe he'd said earlier that he would visit Andrea after work. He was tempted not to show but a part of him wanted to see that she was okay. It wouldn't be easy talking to her and essentially he knew it would have to be the last time. It would be their goodbye. Sighing, he stood up and grabbed his mobile phone and car keys.

"Headed home, guv?" Phil Hunter's voice rang out as Neil passed. Of all people, Phil was one of the last he wanted to speak to. Ever since Phil had found out about Neil and Andrea's affair Phil had voiced to Neil that he hadn't thought much of their relationship. He was unable to see why Neil may have feelings for the police constable over his intelligent and successful but somewhat cold and distant wife.

"Yep," answered Neil bluntly, continuing to walk without even so much as a glance at Phil. Although Phil had kept his affair secret and had been supportive on the day of the explosion, Neil had no intention of starting a friendship with his Detective Sergeant. Although Phil was good at his job it didn't go unnoticed by Neil that Phil didn't always follow the rules which, for the most part, clashed with Neil's serious personality.

"Neil!" Phil called out jogging behind, catching up just outside the temporary CID cabin. He glanced around and upon realising they were alone continued, "how's Andrea?"

"I don't know," Neil answered keeping as blank of an expression as possible."I haven't seen her since that first day at the hospital. I have to focus now on investigating the explosion..."

"So you and Andrea are over?" Phil butted in, somewhat shocked. Considering how concerned Neil had been for Andrea after the explosion, Phil was surprised that he'd cut her off completely.

"It's for the best," Neil stated. "We were over before the explosion - that just took me by surprise. I have my family to think of. Neither them nor the station need any scandal."

"Well I think you're doing the right thing," added Phil. "Anyway, best get back and finish writing up today's case."

As Phil headed back towards CID, Neil strode towards his car, sliding slowly into the driver's seat. He sat there for a few minutes before starting the engine. He was nervous. He knew that he shouldn't be going to see Andrea, he was disobeying Superintendent Okaro and potentially jeopardising ongoing investigations within the met into Andrea's undercover role. However, without talking to her neither of them would have closure. He wished he could turn back time and never leave that damned voicemail. He should never have recorded evidence of his feelings for the attractive brunette. Determined not to let his feelings get in the way and stick to the decision to stay loyal to the job, he planned to make his visit brief.

He tried to hide his shock as Andrea opened the door to her apartment. She stood aided by crutches with small scars on her face and a bandaged ankle; she looked terrible. However, her long dark brown hair still fell beautifully round her face and her eyes sparkled like they so often did when she was emotional.

"I can't stay long," Neil said brushing past her in the doorway, entering her flat. He felt the need to state this in the hope that it would mean she may even encourage him to leave quickly. Already he could feel the tension in the air that was so often present when Andrea was nearby and it put him on edge.

Entering the living room that he was familiar with he walked over to the glass door that led out to the balcony and gazed outside. He couldn't look at her.

"So," Andrea said awkwardly, perching on one of the armchairs as she found it too painful to stand on her ankle."Would you like a drink?"

"No. I'm not staying," reiterated Neil. He continued to stare outside, too frightened to see what emotions Andrea might be portraying. He needed to keep his distance.

"Then why are you here, Neil?" Andrea probed. She was surprised he had suggested coming over and was perhaps even more surprised that he'd actually shown up. She hoped that it meant she hadn't lost him, but from the distance he was keeping from her she wasn't sure.

"I just wanted to tell you that despite that voicemail I left the other day that we can't be together anymore."

"And you couldn't just say that on the phone?" Andrea teased. Although she knew she was clinging by a thread to the man she loved, she could feel the electricity in the air that she always did when she was around him and she believed that he could feel it to.

"You are so infuriating!" Neil snapped turning to face her. It wasn't the first time he'd said that to her. She wound him up like no one else could. Despite her teasing, he could see a new fragility to her, perhaps due to the fire or a combination of things. She wasn't ready to be out of hospital by herself and he couldn't help but show his concern. "Do your parents know? Are they coming to take care of you?"

"I'm not a child," laughed Andrea. "I can take care of myself. I don't want my parents involved."

"Well, make sure you get someone to help you while you recover," muttered Neil whilst walking towards the door. It was too much for him; he couldn't face talking to her like he originally thought he could. "I need to go, I'll show myself out."

"Neil, wait!" Andrea screamed in pain as she leapt onto her feet, her bad ankle giving way. She crumbled to the ground in front of the chair, holding her ankle as tears glistened in her brown eyes.

Automatically, Neil rushed to help her up. As he did so their faces became close and Neil had to resist the strong urge to kiss her, instead sitting her quickly back down on the chair. Andrea's breathing deepened, her whole body tense.

"You should still be in hospital," Neil commented, irritated. He couldn't understand why she had been allowed out by herself.

"I have things to do," Andrea muttered. She clutched her ribs as they began to ache. She had been told to have bed rest by the doctor but she felt that she had too much to do. "Look, I know this is asking a lot, but put us aside for a minute. I need your help."

"I don't think it's easy to just put us aside," grumbled Neil. Even him being there showed him that. He was struggling being around her. It would be too easy to give in to his desires but he had to stay strong and be faithful to his career. "What is it?"

"Smithy won't talk to me, I need you to get him to listen."

Irritated by hearing that name Neil began to shout, knowing he was letting his emotions get in the way but not being able to stop them. "Smithy again. What is it that is going on between you? Are you still seeing him? Did he know about you being an undercover reporter?"

"No! Nothing like that!" Andrea yelled back, wanting to stand up but thinking better of it. "I know what it might seem like but Smithy and I were working together on a case before it was revealed I was an undercover reporter. We were so close to cracking it. I got the evidence we needed but it burned in the fire. I need to recover it but I need his help. He doesn't want to be seen working with me in case it ruins his reputation but I can't let the case go. I need him to listen."

"Why? Why can't you let it go? It can't be that important if he doesn't want to pursue it now. And no one is going to listen to the accusations of a suspended police constable who has brought huge shame upon the met."

At his words, Andrea could feel tears welling up. His words stung and she was upset to think that Neil couldn't trust her at all. She was confused by his voicemail. He had said they could work it out but he seemed to have turned full circle and she couldn't see that much had changed since that message except from herself getting injured in the explosion. It had already been revealed that she was undercover before he left that message so what more damage could have been done?

"I'm still the same person Neil," Andrea sobbed. "I may have brought some unwanted attention to Sun Hill through some of my articles but please tell me any part of anything I ever said that wasn't true. I was a good officer, you even said so yourself. This case I was working on with Smithy was the story that was supposed to be what bought me my freedom from the paper!"

"But it's too late! Everyone already knows the truth about you!"

"It may be too late for my own reputation but it's not too late for me to solve this crime and reveal a murderer who's been among us. I have to do what's right."

Taken aback by Andrea's words, Neil found himself questioning her. "A murderer? At Sun Hill?"

"I can't talk to you about this."

"If you want my help, you have to tell me what it's about," Neil said, frustrated by Andrea's withdrawal.

"This isn't a case you can put on record. It'll go against your rulebook to do this on the sly. I don't want it to put you in a position torn between the job and me."

"I think it's a bit too late for that, don't you?" Neil blurted out, instantly regretting his words. He knew he should have left earlier and shouldn't be listening to Andrea's words. His admission was almost a confession of his feelings for the woman who sat before him and he knew that was how she'd interpret it.

"Neil," Andrea said more softly. "I need to know I can trust you. That you won't go running to the Super about anything I say."

"You have my word," Neil responded. With Andrea's face looking doubtful he added, "Superintendent Okaro knows about us and I promised him I wouldn't speak to you again. Trust me when I say that even if I wanted to tell him what you tell me about this case, it would be more than my jobs worth to do so."

"Okay." Andrea half-smiled before explaining her investigation into Gabriel's involvement in the Sun Hill sniper case.


	7. Chapter 7: Making Allies

Chapter 7: Making Allies

Fidgeting in his office chair, Neil was distracted. He wasn't particularly sure Smithy would listen to him and wondered what he would do if he wouldn't help Andrea. _Could Neil really just sit on the information that Gabriel Kent was a killer and not tell Superintendent Okaro?_ If Smithy refused to get involved again he couldn't see much choice, and he was pretty sure it would be obvious who his source was. Andrea was right though of course; all the stories she had published had been true. She had never made anything up. Sun Hill was full of scandal.

"Sir?" Probed Detective Constable Jo Masters, peering down at her boss.

"Sorry Jo, what were you saying?"

"We think we've found out who started the explosion. Colin Fairfax, PCSO! Can you believe it!" She paused realising Neil didn't seem to be taking in much of what she was saying. "You alright guv? Do you want to go and arrest him with the DCI or shall I attend?"

"You go with the DCI, Jo. I've got some cases to get sorted," Neil replied. "Good work though. I'm glad we've got the monster who caused all this tragedy and heartache."

Jo nodded in agreement before exiting the office, slightly worried by the DI's lack of focus as it wasn't like Neil not to be putting a hundred percent into his work, even if they didn't always see eye to eye.

Neil was relieved that his colleagues had discovered who had caused the explosion and fire that ripped Sun Hill apart, but his mind was more occupied with how the hell he would bring down Gabriel with Andrea and hopefully Smithy onside. There had been too much murder and wrongdoing within the walls of Sun Hill and he was determined to be a part of the team that ended it, even if it had to be off record. Partly he felt he owed a big result to the station after his affair with Andrea and although their affair hadn't been revealed, he was worried it would be and that more scandal would ensue. Working so closely with Andrea wasn't ideal but she had trusted him enough to tell him what she knew, so he had to return that trust however hard it might be. He had to stay focused on the job and not let himself get distracted by the pretty brunette anymore. He was concerned his willingness to be involved in their case would give Andrea the wrong impression but he had made no promises to her when they chatted at her house the day before.

As the time hit five o'clock, Neil left the unusually quiet office to go to the hospital to see Smithy. Smithy had before been in a relationship with Andrea and Neil couldn't help but feel that little bit of envy every time he saw the Sergeant. However, the Sergeant had figured out that Neil was really who Andrea loved and had amicably let her go and almost been supportive of their relationship. He was one of the only officers to know about the pair; like Phil Hunter he had so far kept it secret.

Smithy was sitting up in bed eating his dinner when Neil arrived. It wasn't visiting hours but flashing his warrant card had given Neil easy access. Smithy looked very battered and bruised, similarly to Andrea. It flared up anger inside Neil as he couldn't believe Andrea had been allowed to discharge herself in her state.

"Smithy," Neil nodded at the Sergeant as he approached his hospital bed.

"Oh, hello," Smithy responded, surprised that the DI was paying him a visit. "Gina came by and told me it was Colin Fairfax who was responsible."

"Yes it was," sighed Neil. "Who knew that we had someone like that working on our team. I'm not here directly related to that, I want to talk to you about another case. How are you feeling?"

Confused as to which case Neil could be referring to Smithy just replied to Neil's question. "I'm feeling much better than I did. Horribly bruised all over, a few cuts and burns here and there. A hacking cough from the smoke inhalation. Compared to Ken though I got off lightly. I tried to get him out but he told me to leave him just before the van exploded."

After discussing the explosion a little bit, Neil felt he should get to the point. "Look, I'm here to talk about Gabriel Kent."

"Gabriel, why?"

"I spoke to Andrea and she told me what you had both been investigating. Why you didn't report your findings is beyond me as it has left us in a very difficult situation."

"Please don't tell me you're still with Andrea? You do realise she's an exposed undercover journalist? Being associated with her could end a career!"

"We're not together anymore. We hadn't been seeing each other before the fire either. Only she has now confided in me about this and I can't let a murderer roam the corridors of the station. It's not something I'm comfortable with. We need your help, Smithy. We need to get Gabriel sent down."

"Gabriel was the one who pulled me out of the fire. He saved me," muttered Smithy in response.

"And that excuses that he raped Kerry does it? That he killed her?"

"Of course not!" Smithy snapped. "But it's not that simple. No one is going to believe a word Andrea Dunbar says. She told me herself that the evidence she did have burned in the fire. Who knows if we will get it back?! I'm not sure if it's worth risking our careers over working on something that might only lead to a dead end anyway."

"A murderer is among us, Smithy! And you're telling me it's not worth trying anything to change that?"

"To risk losing our jobs? I'm not sure. If we end up losing our jobs and he walks away looking as innocent as ever, we can't then even keep an eye on him! Then what would happen?"

Neil paced up and down in frustration. Without Smithy onside, himself and Andrea had a much smaller chance of succeeding. He himself couldn't risk being too involved because he knew that the Superintendent would be paying close attention to his work and he had to keep up appearances at home, he couldn't afford for Philippa to become suspicious. Smithy was in a prime position to investigate. He was high enough rank to be able to find time to do some digging without arousing suspicion and he could also keep an eye on Gabriel. As a victim of the fire, he wouldn't be expected to have to return on full duties either and the Superintendent had no real reason to be watching Smithy's every move. As far as Neil knew, Smithy had no real commitment outside of work either.

"I understand your reservations Smithy, I really do. But we can't let him get away with this. He may have saved you but he left Andrea to die in there. He won't change." Neil struggled to keep his emotions in check as he couldn't help but feel hatred towards Gabriel when he thought of how he had just left Andrea to die.

"He left Andrea in there on purpose? She said that she was with him when the explosion hit but I didn't really think about it."

"I don't know why that surprises you. With her death he thought his confessions would die alongside, only of course she managed to somehow get herself out."

"So how do we know that Gabriel won't try and kill Andrea? He must know Andrea well enough to realise it's unlikely she will stay silent."

Neil's heart pounded as Smithy asked this. It hadn't really crossed Neil's mind the danger that Andrea could be in although now it had been pointed out it seemed ridiculously obvious. And she lived alone. It wouldn't be hard for Gabriel to find out her address as it would be on the police system. He wasn't sure what he could do about it but he had to try and find an alternative arrangement for her. He wondered whether Andrea would have already considered it herself. She was usually always thinking ahead; that is why she had made such a good copper.

"I guess we don't know what he will do," mumbled Neil in response, starting to feel numb and perhaps even a little helpless. "Which is all the more reason we need to reveal his crimes. Not only Andrea, but there may be other people in danger. If he were to rape or kill again tell me you wouldn't feel guilty if you hadn't at least tried to stop it?"

"Okay," sighed Smithy. "I see your point. But I need to get better first. I'll be no use while I'm in here or house bound. Wait until I'm back at work and then we can get started."

Neil nodded in response, relieved that Smithy seemed to now be willing to help. Wishing his colleague a speedy recovery, Neil left the ward to head home to his family.


	8. Chapter 8: Appearances

Chapter 8: Appearances

Sighing as he left the hospital, Neil thought about Smithy's observation of the danger that Andrea was in. _Would Gabriel Kent leave her alone?_ He wanted to call her and make sure she had thought about it but he was sure she would have done. She was smart.

Pulling out his phone he began to dial Andrea's number before hesitating and sliding it back into his jacket pocket. He knew he shouldn't call. He didn't want Andrea to get the wrong idea about them. He couldn't go back to their relationship now; there was too much on the line. However, he couldn't help but care about her no matter how much he wished he could turn his feelings off. He knew his evening at home would be a long one. He wouldn't be able to get the Gabriel Kent case off of his mind. Sharing anything with Philippa would be impossible too even if he left out the part about his affair with Andrea Dunbar. She wouldn't understand. She'd want him to go to Superintendent Okaro which just wasn't an option unless he wanted to jeopardise a lot of careers. Not only his own but Smithy and June Auckland's jobs would be at risk because June was aware that Gabriel was posing as her real son Gabriel, when really he was David Kent, son of the family that Gabriel had been adopted into. Though why June hadn't said anything immediately baffled him but he guessed she didn't want the station knowing she had given her son up for adoption.

Neil's brain ached just thinking about the string of lies that had escalated and Andrea had been investigating all this right under his nose and he hadn't even sensed a thing. She'd said she was working on 'something big' but he had no idea just how many people were tangled up in her big expose, let alone that it was actually trying to prove that there was a murderer in their midst.

Unlocking his car he clambered in, exhausted from his long and stressful day and to his dismay he knew it would only get more difficult. He needed to be focused but he also couldn't afford to arouse any suspicion that he may be working on a case on the quiet. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Dad!" Neil Manson's son Jake screamed as he saw his dad step over the threshold into the family home. "Mum's just cooking."

"Hey, Jake!" Neil smiled genuinely. His son was his little piece of sunshine in what was a rather dull and miserable household. He grabbed him in a bear hug, stalling before having to enter the kitchen where Philippa would be waiting. He wondered what the dinner would be tonight. _Spaghetti bolognaise? Cottage Pie? Lasagne?_ It was bound to be one of them.

Releasing Jake he wandered into the kitchen smelling the strong odor of the Spaghetti bolognaise filling the air. Rolling his eyes he turned the corner to see his wife standing by the stove glaring at him. She wasn't happy, he could tell.

"Where have you been? You were due home well over an hour ago!" Snapped Philippa, her brown beady eyes boaring into Neil.

"Sorry, I got caught up," Neil apologised. "I should have called. I didn't know I had to be back straight away for dinner."

"Are you trying to be funny?" Asked Philippa, not amused. She was easily wound up. Especially after all the issues she had had with her father. Not that long ago, Philippa's father who had previously been Deputy Assistant Commissioner was investigated over allegedly using rent-boys. When the rumours had first came around Neil had done everything to protect his father-in-law, believing his innocence. However, later on when Neil discovered that the allegations were true he was forced to tell Philippa. His father-in-law resigned and relocated to Spain to get away. Even though he was having an affair with Andrea then the issue with his father-in-law had created even more of a distance between Neil and Philippa and Philippa had struggled to come to terms with her father's betrayal. Neil even suspected she was still in denial over the whole thing.

"No, I'm not trying to be funny. Sorry," Neil apologised again, more sincerely this time. "I've just had a stressful, busy day and I went to swing by the hospital to visit those injured in the fire. Just to see how they were doing."

"Be careful Neil," Philippa smirked. "They might start to think you care when most people think you have a heart of stone. But on a serious note, how is the investigation going?"

"Investigation?" Neil choked, wondering for a second if Philippa had somehow found out what he had been working on before realising she must be referring to the investigation into the explosion. "Oh, turns out it was Colin Fairfax, one of our PCSOs."

"What? Really? Why on earth..."

"He left after being revealed as a racist. Not that he had been at all subtle from what I heard. The Super had asked Ken to bring him into the station but turns out Colin flipped, locking Ken inside the van full of petrol that he drove into the station."

It was only as he was telling the days findings to Philippa that he realised that he should probably let Andrea know what had caused the explosion that had caused her injuries. He winced as he thought back to that evening when the explosion occured, arriving to the destroyed station, all emergency services everywhere. His instant worry for Andrea. He had felt sick knowing that she could have been in that building when it exploded, and the relief when she was found alive but also the sorrow of finding that one of his officers had died immediately.

"Sorry I shouldn't have brought it up," whispered Philippa walking towards her husband and embracing him. "I can see how much it effects you. I'm just pleased that the culprit has been caught and the station can hopefully begin to move on."

"Me too," mumbled Neil, his head resting on her shoulder. This was the Philippa he had chosen to marry, the one that wasn't always serious and bitter but actually caring. Though in all the time they had been married he couldn't remember her making him feel carefree the way Andrea had.

Pushing those thoughts out of his head and sliding out of his wife's embrace he told Philippa he would go and tell Jake to turn the television off and wash his hands ready for dinner. A family dinner of spaghetti bolognaise, a norm in the Manson household.

Jake was sitting watching cartoons when Neil entered the living room. Switching the television off caused Jake to grumble before doing as his father had instructed and going to the bathroom to wash his hands before dinner.

Just as Jake left the room, Neil's phone began to ring. He fumbled through his jacket pockets to find the phone and his heart pounded as he saw Andrea's name listed as the caller ID. He wanted to answer in case there was something wrong. _What if Gabriel had got to her?_ But he knew it would be foolish to answer while at home so instead he sent a quick text:

 _Can't speak. At home. Will call later._


	9. Chapter 9: The Same?

Chapter 9: The Same?

Still unable to walk well and being much weaker than she wished she were, Andrea couldn't leave her apartment and it frustrated her. She wanted to get the ball rolling and finally get Gabriel Kent the punishment he deserved. She wasn't one to just sit around all day and her boredom was getting the better of her. Being clever, her mind liked something to focus on but the walls of her home gave her little interesting to do. She couldn't take much more daytime television.

She still hadn't heard from Neil since he said he would help. She wondered if Neil had managed to gain Smithy's support. Although she understood Sergeant Smith's reservations, particularly as it could look bad for any police officer if they were caught with the now shameful undercover journalist, she just hoped that his love for Kerry would be enough to persuade him to help.

Sighing, Andrea thought of how different things could have been if Bruce hadn't have revealed her secret. She had half-believed her boss and her were friends; she had been his star reporter once but his unwillingness to let her leave the paper and join the Met had shown her otherwise. She had given up so much for Bruce over the years and all she had wanted in return was to move to the career that she had grown to love. At the very least she had wanted to stop the truth about her true job from being revealed to spare Neil's feelings. She was pleased he was talking to her again but her heart ached for him to love her though she knew it was too late. She couldn't and more significantly wouldn't expect him to give up his career for her as she knew how important it was to him. Additionally, for now she was still a reporter as Bruce hadn't fired her and she knew that Neil wouldn't approve.

Thinking of Neil, Andrea decided to give him a call to ask if there were any progress with Smithy as she was desperate for something to take her mind off her own sorry state of affairs. To her dismay there was no answer and she hung up just as the door buzzer of her apartment rang, making her jump.

Placing her phone on the table she hobbled out into the hallway and enquired who was there through the speaker. She had expected it to be Neil which made her surprise greater when she heard who it was.

"Andrea, it's Gabriel. Don't hang up. I just want to talk. I'm sorry for everything."

"I don't think you mean that," sighed Andrea as she spoke calmly into the receiver despite her heart beating rapidly. "Even if you do, does that change anything? You threatened me in the hospital."

"I'm sorry. I panicked. Please just let me up so we can talk. I never got to talk to you fully the day of the explosion."

Andrea agreed to let Gabriel up to her apartment; a surprise even to her own ears. She was nervous. She knew Gabriel was dangerous. _So why was she letting him come into her home?_

Just as she granted Gabriel access to her building her phone buzzed with a text from Neil.

 _Can't speak. At home. Will call later._

Upon reading this, Andrea's heart pounded harder as she realised just how alone she would be with Gabriel. She was about to text Neil back to let him know Gabriel was there in case anything happened but suddenly hearing Gabriel's footsteps she placed her phone back down on the table.

As Gabriel entered he was looking around suspiciously.

"Now you haven't set up any cameras or recorders around here, have you?" Gabriel asked, lifting up cushions and moving photo frames, searching behind them. Noticing her phone on the table he picked it up checking that she wasn't recording with it.

"Gabriel, I didn't know you were coming and I'm hardly in a state where I would be able to rush around and set up a camera. I can hardly walk."

Appeased by Andrea's words, Gabriel paced up and down a few times before perching on the edge of the red and cream sofa as Andrea sat in the matching armchair, unable to stand for too long on her ankle. For a few seconds there was a tense silence, neither of them knowing if they should say something.

"So, why are you here?" Andrea prompted Gabriel to speak.

"I need to explain more. Everything I did got out of hand and I didn't know how to get out of it but I want to change. No, I have changed. I've learnt from it all and I want to do good. The successes I had on reducing crime on the Cole Lane estate showed me just how much difference the Met can make; how many people can be helped."

Gabriel paused when he heard Andrea laugh before she chimed in, "Gabriel, you and I both know that your methods on the Cole Lane estate we're hardly amicable. You just went by your own rule book. "

"I don't think you can talk, can you?" Gabriel snapped. "Always playing the superstar cop. CID's favourite assistant, when all along it was a lie. You were just trying to get a story. You betrayed your colleagues so don't say I have been a bad cop without looking at yourself first."

"We are hardly comparable Gabriel!" Scoffed Andrea in shock. "I may have broken a few rules which I deeply regret but I never used violence, let alone murder as a way of 'dealing' with people. I actually used evidence to put criminals away."

"You really act like you're so innocent Andrea but we're the same you and I. We both lived a lie. We both betrayed our colleagues."

"And I'm now accepting and living with the consequences of my actions. I am taking full responsibility. I'm not brushing them under the carpet and continuing like nothing happened."

"Oh come on, Andrea," Gabriel smirked. "We both know you're only dealing with it because your boss revealed your secret as front page news. I won't ever believe you would have willingly told the world that you weren't a real copper."

Gabriel's words stung Andrea slightly. He was right of course. She had promised Neil she'd resign from the Met when he had first discovered she was a journalist but never would she have owned up to it to all of her colleagues. Truly she wished no one had found out the truth so that she could have stayed in the Police. She really had loved that job and put her heart and soul into it, even on cases where it wouldn't help her get a story. However, she tried to shake this new feeling of unease aside as she knew that however many times she may have deceived her colleagues she never harmed anyone and so her own deception couldn't be comparable, _could it?_

"Struck a nerve did I?" Gabriel smiled smugly.

"No," Andrea replied managing to keep calm but wishing that Gabriel would just leave. She knew she shouldn't have let him in.

"You understand me more than you care to admit, Andrea. I understand that. I was in denial for a long time to but you'll learn how wrong your actions were eventually. Regret them. Even hurt a little."

"I know I was wrong Gabriel," Andrea snapped back, rising unsteadily to her feet. "But all the stories I gave to the newspaper were true. I didn't make things up to hurt people. We may have both become police officers on false pretences but that's as far as our similarity goes. I didn't I harm anyone, let alone Kerry. She was my friend and she was yours for a time."

"I couldn't have anyone find out about me. If I could have avoided killing Kerry I would have."

"No you wouldn't Gabriel," Andrea winced as her ankle began to ache. "If you had been this guy who, as you claimed yourself, had changed by then and wanted to stop all the wrongdoing, you would have let Kerry reveal your true self and accepted the consequences. "

"I couldn't have her ruin everything for me!" Gabriel yelled, now also rising to his feet. "I can't continue to make a difference behind bars. I only came here to apologise, Andrea. To help you to understand. but you're not listening."

"I am listening Gabriel. I just can't understand. I'm not sure I ever will."

"What are you going to do?" Gabriel tried to keep his composure but Andrea could see he was scared.

"Do?" Laughed Andrea, knowing she needed to throw him off the scent that she was planning something. "I can't do anything Gabriel. I'm no longer police officer, remember? Even if I wanted to, which I'm not sure whether I do, no one would listen to me anyway as you must know. I'm sure I'm station gossip and the station disgrace right now so if you think anyone there would listen to me then you are much mistaken. I just want to forget the whole thing happened now. Forget you even exist. I need to move on as there is no way for me to go back."

"I hope you mean that," Gabriel said whilst walking towards the door. "But I will be watching you."

As he left her apartment Andrea felt relief rush over her though she also laughed knowing that his threat just proved that even if he didn't realise it, he hadn't changed at all.


	10. Chapter 10: Road To Recovery

**Chapter 10: Road To Recovery**

It had been a quiet few weeks regarding Gabriel as Smithy had refused to help until he was feeling better; today was his first day back at work. He hadn't spoken to either Neil or Andrea anymore while he had been recovering and he appreciated that they had let him get the rest he needed. He would be lying if he denied he wasn't worried about helping them bring the sly Gabriel Kent to justice, but he knew he had to do it for Kerry.

Nothing had changed really, nothing but the fact he had seen his life flash before his eyes and he'd learned of shocking truths; it made him more wary. Before the fire, Smithy had been fully supportive of Andrea and was determined to see justice done for Kerry. However, he now wasn't one hundred percent sure that risking his career, when he had already lost so much, was worth it for some low life like Gabriel. He was torn. _Could he trust Andrea?_ Neil Manson seemed to though and although Smithy didn't know the man that well, Neil had always gave him the impression that his job and justice were more important to him than anything else in the world. Smithy doubted Andrea could even have changed Neil's mind on that.

Additionally, Smithy had dated Andrea for a while himself and deep down he knew that despite her deception that really she had a heart of gold. He just had to trust his colleagues when they said they could bring down Gabriel Kent without too much trouble. Although a huge part of him wished he had refused to help when Neil had come to visit him in hospital, another part of him knew that he wouldn't forgive himself if he didn't help get justice for Kerry. He would never stop missing her.

When he arrived for his first day back. Smithy could see that the station was still being rebuilt after the explosion. Just seeing the building flooded him with anger. Inspector Gina Gold, who he considered a friend, had been to visit him several times while he was recovering both at hospital and at home and she had broken the news that it was their old PCSO Colin Fairfax who had caused the devastation. He thought of Ken Drummond who had been handcuffed inside the petrol filled van that Colin Fairfax had driven into the entrance of the station. Smithy felt tears sting his eyes as he remembered the events of that afternoon; how he had tried but failed to save his colleague.

 _"Smithy, I'm covered in petrol. Get everyone out of here! Get out of here Smithy!" Ken yelled as he sat helplessly between the petrol cans, his wrist bleeding where it was handcuffed to a part of the van._

 _"No, look I'm gonna get you a fire extinguisher," Smithy replied trying to stay calm though he only had to look around him to know he was fighting a losing battle. Nevertheless, he couldn't just leave a colleague trapped to face his death. He handed the keys he had found in the van to Ken so he would be able to release himself from his handcuffs and Smithy could only hope that time was on their side as an explosion was imminent._

 _"Get out of here," Ken repeated, but this time more calmly as Smithy passed over the keys. He gave Smithy's hand a reassuring squeeze as if to say 'I'm okay, save yourself'._

 _Smithy gave his colleague a pitying look before departing the van and beginning to leave the front office._

"Smithy," Neil Manson said disturbing Sergeant Smith's wayward mind. Smithy looked up to see Neil standing in front of him, now blocking his view of the station.

"Sarge," mumbled Smithy in response before taking a deep breath to calm himself down. He didn't realise he would struggle so much mentally when returning to the building but it just brought it all back. Many of his worst memories took place at the front of the station that was now boarded up. It was just outside there that Kerry had been shot and died in his arms and in that foyer he had almost lost his life. However, it also held some of his happiest memories including the moment Kerry told him she loved him, even if that joy was short-lived.

"Are you okay?" Neil Manson probed . He knew his colleague must be struggling. It caused him pain looking at that site and he hadn't even been in the explosion.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," muttered Smithy. "Just weird being back."

"Well whenever you want to meet to talk about... you-know-what," began Neil before pausing to check no one was watching them. "Just let me know. Whenever you're ready."

Smithy nodded and Neil began to walk over to the temporary CID offices but paused when he heard Smithy call his name. He turned back to see what his colleague wanted.

"Neil, how about tonight?"

"Tonight," said Neil in surprise. "Are you sure you're up to it yet?"

"Being back here brings back a lot of memories," explained Smithy taking another deep breath to calm himself. "I've had some of my best and worst experiences here. That moment when I lost Kerry was one of the worst of my life. Gabriel may have saved me from the fire but it doesn't change that he took her life. And she'd told Andrea he'd raped her..."

"Not forgetting he confessed killing her to Andrea the night of the explosion," added Neil. "But we better not discuss this further now. So, tonight? Let's say Andrea's at seven?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I just want to get this over with."

"Good," mumbled Neil. "Well I'll see you later."

Neil headed into CID while Smithy went through to the locker room to get ready for his shift. He couldn't deny that he was nervous. Everyone else had already had a few weeks with the station in repair to move on from the horrible events of the week before. They had been there to unravel the truth of that night's events and were probably busy on a million new cases. Though Smithy guessed the memory of the explosion still affected many of his colleagues, he couldn't help but think that he would probably feel out of the loop. To him it felt like it had only happened yesterday.

Luckily, Smithy found Inspector Gina Gold before going to the morning's briefing. He knew he'd feel better if he got up to date with what was going on first and her joy at having him back relaxed him a little.

"Why hello Sergeant," smiled Gina as Smithy entered her office.

"Mam," nodded Smithy as he sat on the spare chair in her office, the opposite side of the desk to where she sat.

"I can't tell you how glad I am to have my most talented and trustworthy member of my team back with us."

Gina and Smithy had always been close. They were both dedicated to their jobs and they were both very good at them too; they had grown close with mutual respect for one another. They made a good team and they knew it.

"I'm happy to finally be back, mam."

"Now now Smithy, there is no need to lie," laughed Gina before composing herself. "Seriously though, you do feel ready to be back?"

"You know, I wasn't sure," answered Smithy honestly. "Seeing the front of the building like that bought a lot of painful memories back. But then I realised that this is the place where I have good memories too. I have friends here and I have helped numerous people that have entered these premises."

He had to bite his tongue to stop himself from telling Gina that his main incentive to return was to get Gabriel for what he did to Kerry. He knew it would be hard to hide anything from his Inspector because she knew him so well, but he had to try. It had to be kept between himself, Andrea and Neil until they recovered the evidence they needed. He couldn't wait to get things moving along and the time to go to Andrea's couldn't come quick enough.


End file.
